From the Edges

Cartoons

The NIH Keeps Up With The Times: 1, 2,
3.
David Baltimore Has A Flashback: ***. The NY Times Keeps Up With Times: ***.
The Faith of Anthony Fauci: ***. Anthony Fauci Explains How HIV Causes AIDS: ***.
Robert Gallo on The Force of Ejaculation: ***, on HIV Theory: ***, Lectures in Marseilles: ***.
David Ho Does The Math: ***.
John Mellors Sets the Record Straight: ***.
Bono, el Magnifico, Holds (Another) Press Conference: ***.
Anthony Fauci Explains Journalism in the Age of AIDS: ***.
Anthony Fauci and David Ho Disprove an Old Adage: ***.
Anthony Fauci Explains ICL and AIDS: ***
The CDC Can't Keep Up With The Times:***
The Method of the "Small Inquisitor" Moore:***
The Co-Discovery of a Nobel-Worthy Enzymatic Activity:***
The Revenge of the "Very" Minor Moriarty:***
Julie Gerberding and Anthony Fauci Learn Arithmetic:***
Osama Obama Has a Message for Africa:***

Keeping up with the latest innovations in drug therapy can certainly be a challenge. Many times, patients hear about new developments from the media before we lowly physicians learn of them. It's not uncommon for my patients to ask for a drug that's just been approved by the FDA the day before — long before it makes it to the marketplace, let alone my own knowledge base.

What did P.T. Barnum say about a sucker being born every minute?

So, what's a busy physician to do?

For starters, read the underlying literature about the drugs you prescribe to people. That'd be nice.

First of all, let's start with what not to do.

Okay, What's not to do?

Do not rely entirely on pharmaceutical sales representatives, any more than you would rely on a car salesman for information about a car. Pharmaceutical sales reps, and the companies who hire them, have done a good job of convincing themselves (as well as the public and some doctors) that one of their key missions is to educate physicians.